


Hotel Oumasutra

by thesez



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Angst, Character Study, Drama, Fluff, Humor, Multi, Spoilers, no actual sex or lewd stuff in this jsyk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-03-06 03:35:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13402614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesez/pseuds/thesez
Summary: Kokichi finds his way into the love hotel pre-emptively and strikes a deal with Monokuma.





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> dont have an update schedule planned so thisll just update whenever i get things done. i do intend to do everyone eventually though.

A big, round bed in the centre of the room, adorned with satin sheets dotted with hearts. He didn't even need to guess what that was for. Especially with the big red heart decoration behind it. The light from the massive fixture that hung above bathed the room in warm lurid tones. Lacy veils hung around the bed area. Yes, this was exactly as the outside of the building suggested. A Love Hotel.

Surrounding it, an endlessly-rotating carousel of a pair of Monokuma-themed horses. Tacky, but they clearly had a theme they were sticking to. And if he was being honest with himself, he was up for some horseplay. As soon as he finished investigating, he was gonna ride the hell out of one.

The flooring outside the raised platform was... Pink camo carpet, really? Why, what did that go with? Did the splotchy pattern help to hide stains? Looked new, at least, but they should have picked something easier to clean. At least they had the sense to put tiles in the wet area.

Wet area... En suite bath. With a slide leading to it? Shit, that looked fun too. Basins, stools, shower-heads. Well, you'd obviously want the option to be clean before you got into any activities, and certainly after. Opposite to the wet area...

Bolted to the wall, an equipment rack. Ball-gag, chain, leather mask, flogger. Next to them, a St. Andrew's cross with handcuffs and another BDSM-style bench. All incredibly terrible things to trust inexperienced people with, especially with no education or instructions. There was an accident waiting to happen. Hopefully not a deadly one.

And a loveseat with a gaudy monitor set-up bolted above it. He supposed that knowing when it was night-time and when it was morning would be especially relevant here. Ugh, imagine seeing a body discovery announcement while you were getting busy. The idea of it would have made him laugh, if it didn't also make bile rise at the back of his throat.

The next place he looked, he saw...

A small, plush, half-black-half-white bear. Who shouted at him.

"Hey, you're not supposed to be here, you impatient little bastard!"

"Oh, really?" Kokichi said, none-too-impressed so far. He kept casual, this wouldn't be a problem. "That's weird, I don't remember seeing that in the rules anywhere. We have free reign to explore as we see fit, don't we?" He wouldn't bother bringing up how he got in. Monokuma would know the circumstances of it already, so there wasn't a point to lying or making excuses.

"You're not supposed to be here without the *key*. It's not on the books but it should be! How is this game supposed be fair with you sequence breaking!? Plus you're costing me. Cheapskate!"

It was so tempting to roll his eyes, but visible exasperation wouldn't do him any favours. The key to getting away with it was to pretend you wouldn't be getting in trouble to begin with. "But you're not going to punish me for it, right? If you were, you'd do it already."

"Nnrgh." Monokuma turned away. "I should, but in all fairness, I can't reasonably punish you if I didn't tell you beforehand. I'll 'get you off' with a warning this time, but next time I'm not gonna let you-"

"Come on. How important is this in the grand scheme of things, anyway?" Kokichi cut in and spread his arms in a wide room-spanning gesture. It could be *very* important, he suspected, considering it was a place he clearly wasn't supposed to be yet, and Monokuma himself had come to give the dressing down instead of dumping the task onto the Monokubs. But he could make sure. "It's a love hotel. Don't get me wrong, I find that *very* exciting. But that's all it is, right?"

Monokuma turned back. "For your information, this ain't just any old love hotel, this is Hotel Kumasutra! We pride ourselves on making people's wildest wettest dreams come true."

What a claim. "Oh?"

"I knew that would pique your interest. Or pitch your tent! We can hook you up with whoever you want, and our one-on-one experience is discreet and personalised. Everyone gets exactly what they're looking for, 100% guaranteed! Who wouldn't leap at this chance?"

Hm. Actually, access to an ostensibly private place would certainly be to his advantage, if he could swing it. And Monokuma made it sound like there was a definite way he could ensure his claim of satisfaction, which bothered him enough to want to know more. At the very least he could use this chance to test how married the bear was to the rules; Were they solid, or would he bend them for the sake of entertainment? "Well, don't lock me out and I'll make it worth your while. Someone with my devious mind could do a *lot* with a place like this." He put on his biggest, best, unsettling grin to cement his façade.

"Guess you're not as prepubescent as you look... And you drive a hard bargain."

Monokuma paused, in thought. Or he could have been communicating with someone. Getting a ruling?

"Fine. I won't give you any keys, but since you got in, you can cum and go as you please!"

Hm. That didn't sound very fair. "Just me?"

"Anyone who can get in on their own can," Monokuma decided, his little paws held behind his back innocently. "You'll let em know about it, won't ya?"

Ah, there was the loophole. That was closer to what he expected. Kokichi snorted at the question and offered one of his own. "Does a bear shit in the woods?" This bear didn't shit anywhere. Except directly on their souls, maybe, if that counted.

"I suppose I should tell you how this works personally. Geez, you didn't even give me a chance to get ready, you just went in dry! Ahem. It's time for the talk."

"No, it's okay. I know where babies come from," Kokichi said, and put his arms behind his head casually.

"The Love Key Talk!" Monokuma clarified. "This is a key tha- Oh hell, you don't even have one. Screw the script, it's out of date. I'll paraphrase. At night-time, you and another one of your fellow nasty little bundles of hormones get to go a round in here. And while *they're* in here, they'll envision you in the role of their ideal partner. Which is good, cause personally, I don't think you'd have much luck on your own merits!"

Kokichi turned on the waterworks. "Are you trying to tell me that everyone hates me!? I can't believe you'd say something so cruel! That hurts my feelings soooOOOooo much!!"

"... Are you done?"

Yeah, of course he wasn't going to offer any sympathy. "So. Do you mean like, they'll want me to be a specific thing and I have to act like it?" That must be what he meant by 'personalised'.

"Yep! Whatever they imagine, you have to go along with. Otherwise, they'll snap out of it and feel just *awful*~" Monokuma covered his mouth in an enthused little titter.

"Well, we wouldn't want that, now, would we?" _I should grow a moustache_ , Kokichi thought. _Perfect opportunity for sinister moustache twirling._

"And what happens here stays here, memories don't leave this room. As soon as you leave, it's gone. So if you're a lousy screw, good news. Everyone'll forget all about it. So, ya get all that?"

Ugh, seriously, was that how this worked? They acted under delusion and retained no memory of it? Gross. Not to mention, suspect. But if they really didn't remember, this was an opportunity he had to take.

"Those are some interesting guidelines! I'll be sure to follow them to the letter," his sneer of vague disgust passed expertly as a sneer of ill-intent. It was a lie, but not for the same reason Monokuma would expect it to be. "I do have some questions, though... How do my classmates get in? Do they come here of their own accord, or do they need to be... lured?" He put emphasis on the second half of the question - like he wanted to know if he needed to do so personally - to make it less obvious that he was more interested in an answer to the first half.

"I'd never make them do anything they wouldn't want to! What kind of bear do you take me for!?" His disingenuous complete and utter non-answer wasn't unexpected, but that didn't make it any less annoying to hear. _Yes, of course you would_. "But if you're that worried, find out for yourself - when they're here. And make sure you *really* take care of them, if you catch my drift! We demand some action!"

There was absolutely no way he was going to do that. Not to them while they were unaware of it, and not where and when any third party could potentially witness it. Monokuma didn't say 'I', he said 'we', that didn't escape his notice. The type of person who'd want to see teens kill each other wouldn't shy away from seeing them fuck, either. This place was probably even more bugged than everywhere else.

"Nee-heehee. Of course, how boring would it be if I didn't? I'll give them a performance of a lifetime!" He rushed ahead to another question. Monokuma hadn't taken off yet, he needed to take advantage of it. "Who decides who gets in, and when? Does everyone get a turn?"

"Why do you ask, someone tickle your 'fancy' already? You got a favourite?" Monokuma leaned in like he expected hot gossip. "Is it meeeeee?"

He shook his head. There were people he was more suspicious of than others, but ultimately, if he didn't encounter the right person, this exercise would be pointless. He was going to use this situation to assess *everyone*, see what they really knew and how they really felt, and hopefully feel out the person responsible for all this. He couldn't just leave it up to luck. "I just want to make sure nobody gets greedy. Have you *seen* those people? I wouldn't put it past some of them. Like the inventor? How thirsty is *she*?"

"Eh, they'll probably all turn up eventually." Unhelpfully dismissive. He'd just have to take this as it came. Now, this next topic was an important one. He needed to make it seem innocuous...

"If our memories get wiped after we're in here, I guess I'll forget things too... So, does this time count? Will I remember this?"

"Hey, what's with the third degree!? You got a free pass to the smush room, stop questioning it or I'll take it back!"

It was apparent that Monokuma wouldn't want to discuss how any memory manipulation worked, but it was worth a shot. For all Kokichi knew, this agreement would be moot as soon as he stepped outside. He discreetly scraped a welt onto the back of his hand, and if he remembered making it afterwards, and why, it would give him an indication. He *should* remember deciding to look here initially, so if he were missing the parts after that, he'd know when and where the amnesia started, and in some way, why. The warehouse had plenty of supplies to take notes with next time, if he needed to resort to that. He'd find a way to game this system, too.

"That's all you need to worry about. Just make sure you wrap it before you tap it, you horny little so-and-so! I'm running a killing game here, not '16 and Pregnant'!"

Then Monokuma made his very abrupt exit.

And that was fine. Kokichi had work to do.


	2. Rantaro

When Kokichi peered through the crack in the door and saw Rantaro, he couldn't believe his luck. Almost literally, he wasn't sure if he could believe it was luck at all. Someone who clearly knew a lot more than they let on just happened to turn up when he needed to test the viability of his information-gathering? This felt like bait. But if it was bait, it was reeeally good bait, and he had enough confidence in himself - and enough of a burning desire to *know* - to bite.

Who was Rantaro Amami?

Nobody had any idea, apparently, not even Rantaro himself. At least, that was what he claimed, and while there were enough ways to prove someone knew something, proving that someone didn't know something could prove significantly more difficult. If he really was missing parts of his memory, how much had they taken, and why? It wouldn't be for no reason. It wouldn't be for the sake of fairness, either, to put him on equal ground as the rest of them, because if his knowledge was advantageous, his utter lack of it was unfair too. Maybe what he knew could have threatened the institution of the game itself.

So, was there anything Kokichi *could* confirm about him?

Rantaro was smart? Perhaps. At the very least, he knew there was a system in place (non-cooperative, zero-sum, simultaneous *and* sequential, imperfect-information, symmetric - to a point; single stage. or was it?). And he knew how to function within that system. Whether that was inherent or a result of being fed information from an outside source remained to be seen. But either way, he acted like he aimed to use his knowledge to end the game itself, rather than escape it, and that was interesting, if ill-advised to admit so publicly. It was a challenge.

Rantaro was nice? Sure. He was pleasant. He was laid-back and charming and subdued. When he smiled it was soft, and gentle, and a smokescreen. Too good to be true. His pleasantry was pacifying and distancing. He kept everyone at arm's length while pretending not to. He didn't trust anyone either, despite the rest of the group's desire for cooperation. Kokichi could respect that.

Rantaro was cute? Well, just a little bit. He had very pretty eyelashes.

What could he want? If he really was missing as much as he said, he could want to be known, to have some familiarity. But if he was expecting his ideal person, would that desire translate? Or was it based on aspects more fundamental to him, instead of circumstantial? Kokichi didn't know, and he didn't have many guesses, otherwise.

\--

"Mhm, perfect! It looks like you've finished all your assignments."

Well, there were at least two different ways Kokichi could take that, and one was more entertaining than the other. He gave Rantaro his best grin.

"Of course I did! I get my spy work done in a snap. I'm a natural-born secret agent."

Rantaro blinked. Then he put his arms on his hips and shook his head, letting an amused exhale escape his nose. "I appreciate your imagination, Kokichi, but you should save that for your next creative writing assignment. I mean you finished all your school work. That's good, I'm glad."

So, student, not spy. Though, in a way, he was being a little of both. If Rantaro was congratulating him for school work, he must be, what, a teacher or tutor? Some type of knowledgeable authority figure. That was a weird dynamic for him to want. He looked a little skeevy - a little playboy-love-em-and-leave-em, but he wasn't acting like a *creep*. Yet?

"I only got it done cuz you helped me so much, Rantaro." Kokichi twirled one of his errant strands of hair around his finger and took a seat on the edge of the bed. The sex bed. Rantaro noticed that, right? Did he know where he was? "Are you gonna give me a reward for doing such a good job~?"

Rantaro... chuckled lightly, and turned his head away. The angle of his face helped disguise it, but Kokichi noticed the slight dip of his eyebrows and the way his mouth kept tight and straight during. His smile only showed up as he looked back again. It was an affectation he was using to cover the fact that something about that had bothered him. What was that?

"Twist my arm, huh? Sure." No, he didn't go for the proposition. He reached out and ruffled Kokichi's hair. This wasn't the kind of thing you normally did to a sexual partner, or even a romantic interest. This was the kind of thing you did to a child, to reassure them and make them feel better. "You *did* do a good job. I'm proud of you."

Damn it. Under different circumstances, Kokichi might have found that a little enjoyable, but presently, it bothered him. He didn't need this distraction, he needed to get down to business. His cheerful expression dissipated.

"I know you're hiding something from me, Rantaro."

Rantaro took his hand back with a sigh. "So much for 'big brother', then. I knew you were upset about me leaving, but I didn't know you were *that* upset. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry I can't say any more than that, but I hoped you'd trust me enough to..." It seemed like he realised the problem with what he was saying as he was saying it. "Accept that without thinking about it too hard."

Huh. So that didn't snap him out of it any. He just interpreted that within the context of the fantasy, as far as Kokichi could tell. One in which he was going away, for some reason? It was remarkably cohesive, too, like he could have been drawing on experience. But if Rantaro expected him to not think about this, he was wrong, both inside of the fantasy and out. He was saying he withheld information for, what, the sake of other people? The idea made his scepticism itch.

"I'm supposed to just *not* think about it, even when you praise me for being sooo smart?"

"There's no problem with being smart, but..." Rantaro crossed his arms as he trailed off. Even without thinking about it, he was closing himself off through his body language. Kokichi patted the bed next to him. Rantaro sat down, hands splayed on the satin sheets beside him, while he gathered his thoughts. Either he didn't notice how suspiciously luxurious the bedding was, or he was used to fancy pleasant fabrics. He rested his elbows on the tops of his thighs and knit his fingers together before continuing. "Sometimes it's possible to know too much for your own good. Enough to make you take risks and get you into trouble."

Oh, *this* was interesting. Kokichi wanted to hear more about this. He frowned. "So, you think you're protecting me by keeping me in the dark, instead of explaining it so I understand?"

"I know you're not a dumb kid, but if I said I was heading into danger, I know you'd be heading in right behind me, and I don't want you to get hurt. If anything happened to you and it was my fault, I don't know how I could live with myself." He looked dead serious. Tired and worn down, too, like he really was carrying the weight of an albatross around his neck. For a mere fantasy, this was pretty believable. He really did just seem like a guardian, trying to keep the people he cared about out of harm's way.

So, he was going somewhere foreign and dangerous, for the sake of other people, who couldn't be allowed to know what was going on...

Kokichi leaned in conspiratorially, and did his best to sound innocently curious. He did wonder what Rantaro's answer to this question would be, even if he'd need to take it with a big grain of salt. At least his reaction might illuminate things.

"Are *you* a secret agent?"

The side of Rantaro's mouth quirked upwards before he was aware of it. He didn't quite laugh, but the question did ease the tension. He rubbed at the base of his head with a hand. "Don't suppose it would make this easier if I said I was, would it?"

"It would explain a lot," Kokichi admitted. "But I don't want lies from you, I want the truth." Even though he was starting to think he wouldn't get it in a way that helped him, on a practical level.

Rantaro shook his head and replied with no hesitation. "Nah, I'm not a secret agent. I'm just a guy who got in over his head, and it'll be better for everyone if I kept them out of it. Including you," he put his hand on Kokichi's arm, and Kokichi searched his face for any hint or clue that there was something more to this. He felt like there was a secret here he just wasn't getting. "Listen. You don't need to worry yourself over this, alright? Let's just forget about it. How about we go over your geography instead?"

This was frustrating. "You *say* that like you're giving me a choice, but do you really think it's fair to me that I don't get to know what's happening, just 'cause you're concerned about me? I'm concerned about *you*."

"... It's not fair," Rantaro conceded, and he looked near-agonised to admit it. "But I'm sick of things not being fair. Please, let me protect you." If Monokuma was telling the truth when he said anguish would cut things short, this was inching into dangerous territory.

Kokichi took Rantaro's hand off his arm, and held it. His expression softened. "Just let me know what's going on. I promise I won't follow you or anything, I'll accept that no matter what happens. I just need to know." He knew how insistent he was being and it was harsh, like he was forcibly peeling back all the layers Rantaro plastered on and that left him feeling vulnerable and raw. Maybe he could smooth it over, though, for Rantaro's sake. He'd lie to make him feel better, at least for now. "I trust you to make it back again afterwards, and I'll be here when you do. It'll be like nothing ever changed at all."

Rantaro's smile wasn't fake, this time. But it was a little sad. "Alright."

He explained, and the more Kokichi heard, the more he was sure that none of it applied to the killing game in the least, and this attempt at metagaming ultimately amounted to nothing. But he stroked the hand in his with his thumb, and listened carefully anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ps, if anyone knows game theory and notices theres anything about my assessment of the killing game that needs to be fixed up, pls let me know, i admit its not quite my area of expertise. i just thought it would be appropriate though


	3. Kaede

When Kokichi peered through the crack in the door and saw Kaede, he was kind of surprised that the hat-wearing detective wasn't in there too. Not necessarily that they'd be fucking, but *really*. Shuichi had tucked himself into her bosom like a scared little mouse pretty quickly, so it was funny that his co-dependent ass hadn't shown up too. But it was a relief. Kokichi really needed to get a better handle on Kaede, one-on-one.

Kaede "Piano Freak" Akamatsu. What a *determined* individual. She was steadfast and resolute, in a way that bothered him a great deal. Much like the way she bothered whoever was responsible for this, he suspected, but for different reasons. She wanted everyone to be friends and work together to escape, and sure, if it were possible, that would throw a big spanner in the works. But as nice as it was to imagine, it wasn't realistic in the slightest. Did she really not know how dangerous the strategy she courted was? He'd tried to discourage it as much as possible, but she was undeterred. It was so short-sighted.

The unified front she wanted to present would hurt a great deal more when it was torn apart. Monokuma definitely would, too, that's just how he ran things. Almost nothing could stop him from dividing and conquering with impunity, aside from Kokichi beating him to the punch and doing it himself, at least by appearance. He could make it constructive, too; unity bred complacency, but if he kept them on their toes, maybe they wouldn't let their guard down too much.

 _Wishful thinking_ , he mused.

So, while he hoped it wouldn't come to that, if there was an invitation to backstab, he'd feign taking it before the snake in their midst could. Provided, of course, that Kaede wasn't ready and waiting to lead them all into ruin herself, on purpose.

What could she want? Well, no offense to her, but she seemed kinda pedestrian in comparison to some of the other colourful characters around here. He honestly didn't expect much other than something typically romantic. But hey, maybe she would surprise him.

\--

Kaede stood still and quiet for several long moments. Her stance was as bold as ever, so her hesitance wasn't out of shyness. Rather, she looked like she was having an internal debate with herself. Kokichi was about to make a snappy comment to snap her out of it, right before she finally got past whatever was stopping her and opened her mouth. "U-Ummm..."

He put his hands behind his head and tilted it expectantly.

"Do you remember what today is?" She continued. In this case, a girl asking if you remembered what day it was could only mean one thing. Two, at best. He decided to hedge his bets and answer this carefully.

"Hmmmmm. I think it's Tuesday?"

He let the slight annoyance grow on her face before he piped up again.

"Nee-heehee! I'm kidding! Obviously, how could I *not* remember our anniversary?"

She breathed a sigh of relief. Yeah, that was right. Honestly, how could it not have been, that was so obvious. What kind of idiot couldn't work that out from context? It was both satisfying and disappointing that he was right and a typical generic romantic relationship was all she was looking for, but that brought up a whole new question. Could she really reconcile the idea of a long-term romantic engagement with the person who was currently standing in front of her?

"So! What did you get me, Kaede?" He fished for a response and grinned like a disingenuous little prick. What could she say to that? She literally wouldn't have anything planned to give.

"Well, I..." She started - she actually had something in mind? "I wanted to talk to you about something else, first." It was hurried, spoken like someone who wanted to address a subject, but also wanted it to be over and done with quickly.

"Sure. By the way, I have something for you as well, but it's a secret." He tapped his finger to his lips. He had something in mind, too. That piqued her curiosity, now she looked even more determined to continue. She composed herself again.

"I know we've been together for a whole year, but... you joke around so much, sometimes it feels like I'm the only one taking our relationship seriously. I don't know if you're as committed to it as I am." Hm. That would be a fair assessment so far. She must have mentally extrapolated that from the short amount of interaction they had already. 

She clutched her elbow self-consciously. "I mean, you still just call me 'Kaede'..."

"What, you don't like how I say your name, Kay-ay-day?" Kokichi said, carefully enunciating every syllable it had and then some.

"Geez, that's not the point. Can't you call me something nice? Like, I don't know... 'sweetheart'?" She watched his face for a positive reaction, cautious but hopeful.

"Huuuh? That's so impersonal, though. You think I can't come up with something better than that?"

He scoured his brain for something he figured would impress her. Fortunately, his investigation of the Ultimate Pianist lab was fresh in his mind. He mentally went over album cases and sheet music for something sufficiently cutesy that he could use as a pet name...

"How about... my little bell? _La Campanella_."

When the reference clicked in her brain, Kaede smiled widely and clasped her hands together. "Etude No. 3 in G# minor, Franz Liszt! ... O-oh. That *is* cute..." She trailed off and looked away, frowning, but a blush formed on her cheeks. Yeah, he could play her just as easily as she played a piano. But where's the fun in being *that* straightforwardly charming?

"I picked that one 'cuz it's difficult, just like you are!"

Her hand went back to her elbow, like she was stuck between still being touched, or being annoyed again.

"Haha, see, Kaede? Seriously, it's not all just fun and games, I pay attention to the things you love cuz I know they're important to you. How can you tell me I'm slacking off?"

She *sighed*. "I just wish you'd do stuff like that more. I know you have it in you to be sweet, you just proved it, but you *hide* it. I don't think you're slacking off, I think you're trying too hard to stay *distant*." She looked down. Her eyes were only just visible through her eyelashes. "Are you holding back because you're scared to get close to me?"

Huh. Kokichi paused for a moment. That was, genuinely, unexpectedly insightful of her. "You think I should be more forthcoming?"

"Yes! I mean... I would appreciate it."

"Can do." He feigned a swoon. "I looove a lady who isn't afraid to call me on my bullshit. So, what was the other thing you were gonna say?"

As soon as he brought it up, Kaede fiddled with her backpack straps, then wrung her hands together. Fidgeting.

"Since it's a special occasion, I was hoping we could, um..." She worked up the nerve to close the gap between them, and took both of his hands. Her touch was delicate. Playing the piano gave her such fine motor control, and she was using it with a very deliberate kind of care, letting her fingertips brush his skin. She finished her sentence in a hush. "Be... *together*. You know?"

"Ka _ede_ Aka _mat_ su," he said, as if he was scandalised. He wasn't really, but of all the people he thought would want to use the room for its intended purpose, she wasn't quite one of them. "I never imagined you were that kind of girl! Should I call you 'chopsticks' instead, cuz you're so *easy*?"

She dropped his hands instantly, like contact with them had burned her, and crossed her arms. "If you didn't want to, you could just say so."

"Hey, now. Actually, I'd *love* to. But I'm sorry, I can't, you know that," he sighed. "Remember the vow of abstinence? I'm not putting out until we're married."

As laughable and ridiculous as that sounded, it worked. Kaede didn't question it, she backed off. And she covered her face with her hands, but her sheer embarrassment seeped through anyway. She managed to force more words out. "Okay. Well... What was it that *you* were going to give me?" She was tense, like she was trying to hold herself together despite her uncertainty. She probably expected the rest of this encounter to be equally as unpleasant. To her, all this had probably just been a painful, humiliating let down. That was a little sad. He didn’t want to leave things like that.

Did she really want to escape? Well, unfortunately, she couldn't. But Kokichi could throw her a bone, no matter how utterly fake it was. It was the least he could do.

"Let's elope."

"Huh?" She took her hands away from her face, and he took the chance to take them back again.

"You heard me." This time Kokichi was the one searching her expression. His was intent, and serious. "How about we get out of here? Run away together, just the two of us."

"If you're joking again, I'm... I'm gonna make you regret it," she drew her shoulders together. An empty threat, but it was fair that she was trying to protect herself from being hurt again.

"Tsk. Would I lie to you, my little bell?" She still looked sceptical, but the pet name tugged the corner of her mouth up again. But that wasn't enough. "Seriously, I guess I do act pretty badly sometimes so it keeps people away. I don't want people to be able to hurt me. But if we're going to be together, it really isn't fair to you, and I'm sorry." He looked down, then back up. "I'll be better. You don't have to believe me right away, but I'll prove it."

Kaede breathed out and let the tension out with it. "Okay. That better be the truth, because I'm going to hold you to it," she said. She was still stern, but his acknowledgement let her relax.

"I hope you do. Now, come on, sweetheart." Kokichi grinned again. "Baby. Darling. Honey. Make an honest man out of me."

She rolled her eyes, but that smile was infectious. And he could cater to her just a little bit more.

"Let's make this anniversary a dyad, Kaede."

He kept a hold of one of her hands and led her out of the room. His steps were slow at first, just so she could get accustomed to moving, but he started trotting, then jogging, then running, and to start with she was being dragged along, but by the end she was running right along behind him, down halls and stairs. He was laughing, and to the surprise of them both, she was too. All the way right back to the dorms.

"After you, my little bell." He opened the door for her with a flourish and ushered her into her room... and closed the door behind her. Hopefully when she woke up again, alone, she felt a little better anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> he displays a little knowledge of italian in his free time events with her (also french and japanese) so i stand by that as legit


	4. Tsumugi

When Kokichi peered through the crack in the door and saw Tsumugi, he could already feel the boredom threaten to cave his skull in. He told himself that didn't matter, and objectively, it didn't. That didn't count her out for anything, 'boring' had a suspicious quality all its own. But it was his kryptonite. He'd really have to put the effort in just to make sure he didn't mentally check out during.

Tsumugi Shirogane. If he tried to think of the least interesting person he could, she still wouldn't have crossed his mind. She was that forgettable.

And on a level he knew was almost petulant, he *hated* the way she used fiction. He knew how to use fiction, lies were fiction, and lies were malleable and endless. Fiction could be entertainment, sure. Something fun and enjoyable, something to spend your time with. But on a deeper level, fiction could comfort. Fiction could be kind, could heal.

The way she used fiction was shallow and cheap, devoid of substance. Her love of fiction rang frustratingly hollow to him. Her use wasn't purposeful or nuanced, it was filler. No matter how much of it he recognised, it didn't *mean* anything to him and it was intellectually insulting. But his intellect wouldn't be deterred by insults, he'd keep it focused.

What could she want? To be the centre of attention, maybe? For someone whose talent was founded on the capacity to reinvent herself entirely, she sure didn't take advantage of it. Maybe it was less attention, and more importance. Maybe she'd want to be unusual and special, just like in her fiction. In fantasy, she could be pivotal. In reality, that was something you couldn't really force.

Well, not unless your name was Kokichi Ouma, at least.

\--

"Hey, Kichi-koo."

Aha. Kokichi pressed his lips together tight just to keep from laughing right in her face. Seriously? Oh, how precious was *this* already? Alright, he could take it in stride.

"Yeah, 'Moogi?" He responded in kind.

"Mom and Dad are staying out of town for the night, so I thought we could, ah..." Tsumugi shyly reached forward to take his hand and laced her fingers with his. Mom and dad? Our singular mother and father? They're not here so we're allowed to hold hands like a couple? He paused for a moment, then turned his head to look around, like he expected Monokuma to pop out from who-knows-where with a hearty cackle and proclaim, _just kidding! This one was a prank and you totally fell for it!_

But the room was otherwise silent and empty. So, what the hell?

She chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, you don't have to be so paranoid. They aren't going to see us, they've already left." She put her free hand up to her cheek with a wistful sigh. "It's too bad that we have to keep it hidden, but isn't there something so exciting about the allure of the forbidden? It happens in stories so often, but I never imagined it could happen to plain ol' me."

What? Was that what she was basing this on, some contrived wacky horrible anime garbage? Well, it didn't make it any better, but it made it more explicable. The taboo attracted people just as much as it repulsed them. He had enough of the knowledge, and certainly the capacity to play this role down to the letter, just like any other, but it would just be so... stereotypical and *boring*.

"We're really doing this?" He asked, with his eyebrows raised and his mouth set thin. If Tsumugi noticed how disdainful his request for confirmation was, she didn't show it. She took the question at face value.

"I wouldn't mind doing 'this and that' with you... If that's where the night takes us, it's plain to see I wouldn't complain."

Haha, wow, ew. Well, this was pretty bad already. But how much worse could it end up getting? If that was the kind of thing she envisioned, what was her limit? He tilted his head down, to make himself look cuter and more innocent, and fixed his big doe eyes on hers. "I'm okay with it if you are, cuz I wuv you, 'Moogi, but I'm just worried about *you*. After all, if we get caught, you're the one who's gonna get in trouble..."

He let the implication hang in the air.

She *giggled*. "You know, I'm not usually interested in the 'shota' route, but I'd make an exception for you, Kichi-koo."

God, really? Ugh. Fiction must have *really* warped her perception of what was acceptable and what wasn't. Kokichi was learning more here than he ever wanted to and none of it was good. But of course, she was probably delighted to feel extraordinary, even in a bad way.

"You're a... very special lady, huh, 'Moogi?"

"Oh, I'm not sure if I can believe that," she looked away. She inhaled like she was making a resolution, then looked back. "Am I?"

"You are singularly unlike aaanyone else I've ever met." Because so far, everyone else he met had managed to hold his attention on their own merits, and he cared about what they were thinking and feeling, at least a little.

"Oh, Kichi-koo... You make me feel exceptional. Your sweet nothings speak directly to my heart... My heart has something to say to you too, if you'll hear it..."

For his efforts, he was rewarded with Tsumugi's arms around him. That would have been acceptable, except for the fact that she was slightly tall, and he was slightly not. She clutched him to her bosom, and he might have avoided getting a faceful... if she didn't specifically pull his head down into her cleavage.

Like this was some stupid. Ecchi. Bullshit.

"'My Little Brother Can't Be This Cute'!" She announced.

Oh, this was hell.

"Thanks," Kokichi mumbled through clenched teeth and into the fabric of her clothing. He tolerated her for a few more seconds, then extracted himself from her embrace with a surprising amount of tact, for someone who was rapidly becoming fed up. What was he getting out of this? He didn't really feel like playing along, so what could he even *do* here?

He was struck with a sudden idea. Honestly, it was more of an impulse. Something brief but irresistible.

"'Moogi," he said. "Do you know any shows with killing games in them?"

Her reaction was slow confusion, not the reflexive surprise of someone caught off-guard. She tilted her head. "Er... What brought that on all of a sudden, Kichi-koo?"

"Our parents aren't home!" He was the picture of childish excitement. "Now I can watch all the cool gory stuff I want, riiight?"

"Oh, well, if you're looking for shows with games where people's lives are at stake, let's see..." She put her finger up as she formulated her list. "Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, Fate/Zero, Yu-Gi-Oh! Oh, but that's mostly season zero... Togainu No Chi," she paused to sigh under her breath, smitten, "Shiki, my raven-haired king... Ahem. Danganronpa of course, Mirai Nikki, Deadman Wonderland, Death Parade, and-"

"Okay great," he cut her off. From the few names he recognised, it was all anime. Of course, it figured, all she knew was stupid made-up crap. Of course she wouldn't know about anything real, of course that question wouldn't have helped him any. Damn it. Nevermind.

"Maybe we can marathon those, then," he said, but the feigned enthusiasm had already dropped from his voice. She looked delighted about the prospect anyway. _God_. Tsumugi was vapid, and kind of icky, and worse, she was useless. This was a shit-show from awkward start to nauseating middle to - likely - awful end.

Well, not entirely useless. Maybe he'd see if he could piss her off enough to make her wake up. It would be good to know how much a person could take.

And it would be fun.

What would she do if he claimed the only thing that made her special? He had to, he *so* had to. "Well 'Moogi, society might frown on it, but I really can't blame you for falling for me. I was sooo cute in all the cosplay you put me in. Why, I was like the ultimate cosplayer." Would that annoy her? Would *this* annoy her? "Didn't you love how I transformed? I could be seven different people in a honey flash! 'Member that, 'Moogi?"

She pointed and her face brightened. She practically dove for the reference she recognised. "Of course, that one is-!"

"Right!" He interrupted. "Cutesy Homey!"

That wasn't correct. Her mouth stayed hung open. Oh boy. He fluffed his hair up like an anime character's and it looked awful. The way she narrowed her eyes in confusion delighted him. He posed - in a way that, as far as he knew, didn't mean shit - and continued.

"Yeah! And her motto: Stars in the air! Flowers on the ground! Prepare for trouble, make it double, and let it rip! Remember when Jojo told her to get in the robot? And when she did she fucked up the Ginyu Force, *and* Cowboy Bebop sitting at his computer? That was great, wasn't it, 'Moogi? Oh man, remember Moogis, those little hamsters from that one video game? Dragon Quest, I think? Actually, I always hated those things. I used to get Sephiroth to spindash all over them so they'd hate me and wouldn't reincarnate. Not even using a Phoenix Wright to resurrect them worked."

Tsumugi's fists were clenched. God, this was *so* satisfying.

"'Moogi, I'm glad you wuv me so much, cuz to be honest, before me, I thought your taste in husbandos was shiiiiiit. I mean, Shiki was a crappy edgelord, Rin was *way* better."

Yep, if she wanted a scene with a sibling, fine, she could have one.

"But now since you wuv me so much, it's safe to tell you, you know the dumb gay anime porn you spent huuundreds of dollars on and camped outside the convention centre for a whooole entire weekend just to get? Well, I accidentally dropped it in the toilet, and I flushed the toilet, and it clogged the toilet, and if you don't unclog it you're gonna get in trouble for not supervising me."

Her eyes glazed over in icy, bloody-minded fury. Uh-ohhhhh!

"Wow, speaking of! I think I hear Dad's car outside, maybe they forgot something. I'll go and stall for time while you just get everything fixed up!"

He waited for a few long seconds. Then he ran.

(The next time she saw him again, she didn't act any different than she usually did. Well, that was that, she didn't remember. Whatever method of memory suppression the room had must have been *powerful*.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tsumugi: *is tsumugi*  
> kokichi: https://youtu.be/lHH3s5u_2bc?t=10s


	5. Ryoma

When Kokichi peered through the crack in the door and saw Ryoma, he took a little longer to prepare himself than he had previously. Not that he was uncertain of going in there; although, sure, he was aware of what Ryoma had done, and could still do. He wouldn't let his guard down. But it was apparent Ryoma's crime had been one of passion, and clearly, that passion had been snuffed out conclusively thereafter. So a small part of him... *really* wanted to get this one right, honestly.

Ryoma Hoshi said he didn't intend on surviving.

His claim wasn't as as flippant and misleading as Kokichi's own laissez-faire attitude - he wasn't a joker - and it really didn't seem like misdirection. He had just accepted his role as a dead man walking, and that made him an easy target. Kokichi wasn't really worried that he'd kill someone, he was more worried that Ryoma had drawn a target on his own back and would feel perfectly fine letting someone take aim at it. If he let himself be disposable, that would become dangerous for everyone else before too long.

Not to mention, it was just... sad. Being alone wasn't unfamiliar to him, he hadn't made many friends here so far, purposely or not. Nor was being miserable, he was well-acquainted with feeling bad, too. Every so often, it took effort to keep going. But that was why he knew: sometimes, you had to make your own fun in life. You had to entertain yourself, you had to give yourself things to do, to care about, to make it worthwhile, just so life didn't tear you apart. If you were determined to have nothing, well, that's just what you'd get. Nothing.

What could he want? Not nothing. Everyone wanted something, even if they acted like they didn't. And even though he claimed the past was something that he couldn't touch, and something that couldn't touch him, something that was irrelevant now... that was a lie. If this was wish fulfilment, and it was, he bet that would be his wish. To be part of that world again.

\--

"Kokichi... I've warned you before... not to chase after me..."

Kokichi didn't know his role in-character just yet, but with that one sentence, he could work out the purpose behind it already. Ryoma wanted to feel wanted, and he wanted someone else to be responsible. Initiating would leave him vulnerable again, but if he was pursued, it wouldn't be his fault. That was easy enough to facilitate.

Ryoma tugged the hem of his hat down self-consciously, still of two minds about the attention, but it wasn't hard to read between the lines. Didn't hurt to get more information, though.

"Hm? Why? If you really want me to stop, I need a reason."

Ryoma let out a low grumble that seemed to echo through his entire body. As much as he wanted to walk through the rest of his existence with the light tread of a ghost, he didn't have any trouble making his presence felt. He sounded like he wasn't sure about getting into this, but that *was* what he was here for, so he'd have to. "The reason I gave isn't enough? I've left tennis behind, I don't need a manager anymore. There's no need for you to keep doing this."

Ah, yep, there it was. Just as he expected, Ryoma missed what he used to have. Even if he wouldn't admit it and had to be dragged back into it kicking and screaming. Though... that wasn't necessary, it was easy enough to make sure it was willing.

"So you won't mind if I go, then?"

Ryoma's gaze darkened and dropped to the ground. Like someone who dared to dream, just for a moment, and was ashamed to entertain the thought of it in the face of such a sobering reality. "No. I don't mind," he answered. "It's a good idea. You should."

Kokichi waved him over, and when Ryoma complied, Kokichi casually put an arm around his shoulders. "You should stick to tennis and leave the lying to me, Ryoma. I mean, no offence, but you're super bad at it."

"Believe what you want, but I meant what I said. We don't have anything to do with each other now. What you're doing... is just a pain." He stayed still, but not tense, letting the physical contact happen without shrugging it off or pulling away. It was a good sign, but he was still aloof. He wasn't letting it affect him yet.

"Well, now that we don't have a professional relationship, I can do what I like, and I don't feel like going anywhere. So you should talk to me." Kokichi sat on the bed, but he held his hand out to gently support Ryoma's elbow. It felt... important to do. "Unless it's enough of a pain that *you'd* rather go?"

"... Hmph. I should have known, you were always too persistent." That was fine. Ryoma could safeguard himself if that's what it took, but they both knew what that meant. He didn't sit down as well, but at least he didn't leave. "We can talk if you want, but I don't know what you think you're going to accomplish."

Kokichi paused while he considered how to approach this. He didn't want to be too blasé, even though he figured it wouldn't bother Ryoma much to treat things lightly, because then it would be too easy to brush off. But being too serious was uncharacteristic, and getting too real might be... risky. He could be neutral. He crossed his legs like he was making conversation.

"Maybe I wouldn't have to chase you if you didn't run away so much. What do you think *you're* accomplishing by distancing yourself?"

"That's a good question," Ryoma said. "Makes you sound closer to a therapist than an ex-manager."

That might have been funny, if it wasn't so true, at least right now. Kokichi didn't expect to act as one here, but it was probably better than moonlighting as a gigolo. Hell, maybe some of these people *needed* therapy, really. Too bad their captors hadn't stuck an Ultimate Therapist in here.

"I can manage your feelings too," he said. The stance he took hadn't seemed to help, though, Ryoma responded to his sterility with deflection. Maybe he could let a little emotion through. "But I'm *not* a therapist, I'm someone who cares about how you're doing. You don't have to be so cold to me."

Ryoma looked upwards at nothing, and his shoulders rose and fell with his breath. "If you insist on hearing how I feel, I hope you're prepared for what I have to say."

Kokichi nodded, and Ryoma continued.

"I can't say it does me any favours, no. But some things you do for the sake of other people."

Like... keeping them from getting attached to you? Was that how he was framing this, he was guarding other people from harm just as much as he was himself?

"Do you think it's dangerous for other people to care about you?"

"Not anymore. Not physically, at least. But having people care about me is a waste of their effort, I'd like to save them the hassle."

That was a convenient excuse to keep your distance. And it wasn't necessarily entirely incorrect from Ryoma's perspective, but it was doing him more harm than good. It needed to be dealt with.

"Well, I think you close people out because you're scared. That maybe," Kokichi shrugged tersely, "I don't know, if you let them in, things will go wrong for them and you'll regret being responsible for it. But don't you think *we* deserve to make that decision for ourselves?"

Ryoma remained impassive, but there was something uncomfortable about it. He wasn't angry, but he was remarkably stern. Locked-down and self-contained. "That's unnecessary. I'd rather spend the rest of my life in isolation, I don't need passion to survive. Myself or anyone else's."

Why was he still acting like this? That wasn't how this was supposed to go. Of course you couldn't just logic your feelings away, talking wouldn't fix everything, but *something* had to happen here. Kokichi clenched his fists and found himself rising to his feet.

"I don't think that's fair. You think it's just going to cause people more suffering if they give a shit about you. But that's what life is, that's what you *do*. You *care*. Even if it's scary and it hurts, people take those risks all the time because it's *worth it*. So you don't need to pretend you're fine with being alone forever and dying just cause you want to 'protect' us!" He said, his voice rising in volume. "Stop throwing yourself away!"

The instant he fell silent, he realised he could feel his heart beating in his ears. And there was moisture beaded in the corners of his eyes. And it was *so* tempting to play his emotional reaction off as a joke like always, because it was *so* scary to be earnest, like he was opening himself up for disaster, but he knew Ryoma wasn't an idiot. Ryoma would know he was being a hypocrite by covering up his own vulnerability, and he'd figure that his words were stupid lip service that didn't mean anything.

But they *had* to mean something. So he didn't grin or laugh, or will his tears away. He just stood there. And so did Ryoma, looking into his eyes, for long enough to make Kokichi worried that maybe telling him off about his avoidance wasn't quite the best method of making him feel better, no matter how well-intentioned. Ryoma blinked slowly. This time, he put his hand on Kokichi's elbow, and Kokichi let his hands relax again.

"I guess you can still teach an old dog some new tricks... Looks like I've still got a ways to go," Ryoma's low voice rumbled, and he sighed. "I can't make any promises, but... I won't be dishonest. There's a part of me that does want a place in this world again. Even if it takes some time and effort, I owe it to you to try."

Kokichi sniffled. "And yourself."

It shouldn't just be for everyone else's sake, it should be for him.

Ryoma nodded in acknowledgement. This was, theoretically, a success. Even if the method Kokichi went about it was... Probably less than stellar. Rough around the edges, at least. He could smooth those out. Sitting back down, he was at a good height to lean his head on Ryoma's shoulder, and Ryoma let him.

"... Sorry I hunted you down and yelled at you about your feelings," he mumbled. "Even if you don't do the same things as you did before, you're still the same person, and I just... missed you, is all."

"There are worse things to be than persistent. Means you're still hanging on and fighting for what you believe in. For what it's worth, I..." Ryoma hesitated. Kokichi lifted his head back up and patted Ryoma on the back encouragingly. "I missed you too," Ryoma admitted. Kokichi pressed a kiss to his forehead, and Ryoma cleared his throat. He seemed embarrassed, and might have felt a little awkward, but at least he didn't seem displeased.

Kokichi hoped this pretend happiness would be enough to keep Ryoma going until he found some for real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by the fact that when they find ryomas remains, kokichi is viscerally upset enough to have his angry-weeping sprite and demands everyone apologise to ryoma for letting this happen. and the fact that after the trial kokichi says someone has to speak for ryoma when he explain things. tiny boy solidarity


	6. Kirumi

When Kokichi peered through the crack in the door and saw Kirumi, he angled his view around curiously. Did she clean the room while she was waiting? He hadn't done much to get it dirty, so it wasn't like it needed a clean to begin with, but he still got the distinct feeling that it seemed more orderly in there than usual anyway. Of course. Oh, Kirumi. Kiru-mommy.

Kirumi Tojo worked for everyone's sake. And that sounded nice and all, but what did it really *mean*?

Whose side was Kirumi on? So far, her allegiance was to her classmates, but you couldn't split loyalty that many ways in a game that demanded the only true allegiance was with yourself. Sure, if you never killed, if all you did was work hard in the investigations and trials, you could say you kept your hands clean and worked for the good of as many people as possible, but you were no less judge, jury or executioner. You suspected, you weighed lives against lives, choices against choices, and even if you were, factually, making decisions based on harm reduction, you were going against a person you had claimed to serve. You had to, if you cared about surviving.

Not to mention, if you killed. If you thought you had a good enough reason, you weren't just weighing the life of the person you killed against yours, you were weighing it against everyone else's, and deciding that was acceptable. Maybe not everyone here was capable of making that judgement, but enough were. People could be pushed towards it easier than they thought, and it only took one person being smart enough, skilled enough or lucky enough, just once.

She had the potential. And if everyone else was equally as important to her... well, to think of it another way, it was possible that everyone was equally as expendable. It would be good to know just what she'd actually prioritise.

What could she want? Well, a maid needed a master to serve. After all, Kirumi was a woman of duty. Kokichi thought that all that obedience and toil would have gotten tedious and boring by now, but she really did seem fine with it, so hey, what did he know?

\--

"Master Kokichi..."

Yep. That one was so obvious, it wasn't even fun to be right about it.

A teenage maid in a love hotel. Plenty of gross unscrupulous people would pay a lot for this kind of experience, and here he was, getting it for free. Thankfully, it was wasted on him. Kirumi stood firm, her hands one over the other in front of her. She was as professional as ever, even under these circumstances. It was refreshing how out-of-place she looked. She made the surrounds feel less skeevy and more homey with her presence.

"Yeah, Kirumi?"

"There is something I feel I must discuss with you," she said. She looked down at her hands and smoothed down a wrinkle in the billows of her salopette, then stopped, as if she had caught herself doing something wrong. She usually marshalled her actions with care, but right now, she seemed uncertain of what she was doing. "Rather, there is something I must... inform you of."

He decided to rein himself in, this time. As fun as it was to rib her about being maternal like he usually would, he couldn't really risk her pulling the plug on this so quickly.

"I aaalways have time for *you*, Kirumi. What's up?"

"It does not please me to say this, but... I'm afraid my time as your maid has come to an end."

Hm? That was unusual. She was going? Maybe looking after people really *had* grown stale, and she wanted the freedom to escape her responsibilities? Her master could grant her permission, if she needed it.

"Alright, but can you pick my underwear up off my bedroom floor before you do? They need to be washed."

Kirumi's mouth hung open for a moment, and when she closed it, she swallowed the saliva caught in her throat and composed herself. She took a long stride towards the door and Kokichi grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Aha, woah there! It was just a joke, you don't have to. If you're going away, you don't need to do what I say any more, right?"

"I... I suppose I do not," she answered. He examined her face carefully. Her eyes stayed fixed on the exit, but they weren't filled with yearning. They were hard, like she regarded the target of their focus as a necessary evil. And she didn't mind being stopped, but she still wasn't relieved or soothed by it, either. Like it was something she wanted to be over and done with.

This was it. This was her chance to get away from it all, and everything about her demeanour screamed reluctance.

"That isn't really what you want, is it," he said, flat, without the upwards inflection of a question.

Without thinking, she shook her head. When she noticed, she made it seem like she was clearing her head, instead of showing her displeasure. She was trying to keep how she felt from him. "My actions should not be influenced by my feelings. To be a maid of the highest calibre, one must set aside their emotions and do what must be done, regardless."

So, to her, leaving was a thing that she *had* to do, even though she wanted to stay. Well, whether she noticed it or not, it was clear that her feelings *were* affecting her actions. She was usually stern and proper - locked down, all-business - but this scenario wasn't coming up here for no reason. She must have wanted a safe situation to vent her emotions in. Kokichi decided to play on her sympathies, to draw more of it out. His eyes grew wide and watery.

"Why do you need to leave me, then? Did I do something wrong?"

Kirumi grimaced, without responding, and he wondered if the guilt trip was a step too far.

"No, Master Kokichi," she finally answered. "I am very sorry if I gave you that impression. The fault lies with me. I..." She stopped, and only continued when she looked down and noticed Kokichi hadn't let her hand go yet. "I fear my efficiency has been compromised," was her admission. "I... found myself caring about you in a manner that I did not anticipate."

"... Like a mother, right?"

Okay, that wouldn't be what she was looking for, but it was pretty hard to imagine that she'd want him as a romantic partner, especially right at that moment. She frowned at his insinuation - and that sealed it. Which was hilarious, really. Sure, his classmates had their own desires, and he was supposed to bend to fit them, but even so, which qualities of his could Kirumi possibly justify falling for?

He was about to open his mouth to ask, when she beat him to it with a tentative question of her own. "Is that truly how you see me?"

"No, but I just thought... I rely on you so much. You're the person who looks after me. Isn't that what a mother does?"

Her expression softened in sympathy. Or... pity. Her mind must have put his remark in a less-than-pleasant context, and it made him more discomforted than he thought it would.

"I see..." She closed her eyes, and her exhale was like a sad but inaudible sigh. "Master Kokichi, my apologies for burdening you unnecessarily. I should not have put you in such a difficult situation. You are in need of me, so I shall stay."

She didn't really allow herself much freedom, did she? And she was willing to do that even now, in what was *supposed* to be a situation representing her ideal relationship. Her sacrificial streak ran deep, and it wouldn't do her any good.

"You're gonna hold yourself back just for my sake? That sounds dumb," Kokichi said. Kirumi frowned.

"Nonsense. I would not be able to perform the tasks required of me, otherwise."

"You can't be satisfied with that, can you?"

Her frown deepened, but there was a twinge of concern to it. A slight break in her composure. "My satisfaction will come from carrying out my responsibilities to the best of my ability."

Oh, she was stubborn. Or dedicated. Both.

"Well, I don't want you to stay if it's going to make you feel bad."

Kirumi looked away again, her teeth clenched, and she clutched fistfuls of skirt fabric. She was putting on a brave face, no matter what, but it was so strained, and coming apart more by the second. "I do not-" She coughed, and her voice trembled. "I do not know why you will not let me do this!"

"Because *maybe* you should look after yourself *too*, for once."

There was a long moment of silence… then Kirumi dropped her head, and sobbed. It was messy, and undignified, and Kokichi felt for her. She acted like an adult, but she wasn't, really; no more than the rest of them. She just had more experience putting her needs aside to better shoulder the burdens of others. Kirumi knew how to sacrifice because she had to, and that concerned him a lot... but he could understand it.

It didn't really matter what traits she attributed to him. He knew how she felt right now, and he knew how to handle it, so the particularities were just window dressing. "Kirumi. Do you think you've failed me yet?"

"Of course not," she sniffed. "I have supported you as the Ultimate Supreme Leader with my whole heart."

He reached back to untie his bandana. "And you think I'm really super great and successful, right?"

That may have stretched her suspension of disbelief a bit, but she answered anyway. "I... believe that in some ways, you are a capable young man, yes."

Aw, she had faith in him. Very tenuous, bullshit imagined faith that would be over as soon as this was, but still. Little victories. He stood on his tiptoes to reach her face better, and used the bandana to dab at her tears. Like she would have done for her master. "Then I don't see the problem. It's a moot point anyway, I never said I wasn't into you, and you work for me so I get to tell you to stick with me anyway. I just want you to be careful the next time you act on your own because you *think* you need to do drastic things for other people. Alright?"

She let her fists open, and her body relax. The tempest of her emotional state had passed, and she seemed soothed, and tired. She put her hand on his, and leaned into the checked cloth. "... Yes. As you wish, Master Kokichi."

Well, it was a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, this took a bit cause i had(have) some things going on. It Happens. hopefully i kept it the same quality at least
> 
> out of curiosity, does anyone think i need to add more tags to this or anything? im bad at tagging so i have no idea what people would want to know about it at a glance.


	7. Maki

When Kokichi peered through the crack in the door and saw Maki, he felt his heart rate spike. He would have felt more comfortable crawling into that bed with each and every single little creepy-crawly occupant of Gonta's research lab. This time he'd be alone with her, with nobody to intervene. It was a relief how many times he had been here now, if only due to his familiarity with the room. He'd know the best way to escape if he had to. And if he didn't...

Bleh. Okay, screw it, she could wait for a few minutes while he ran back to his dorm room and wrote 'If you're reading this, I died in the hotel and Maki did it' on his whiteboard. And 'check my room, P.S. Maki did it' on his wrist under the sleeve. *Then* he would give this a shot. Even then, it took everything he had just to get himself to go ahead with it.

Maki Harukawa.

Maki *murdered* people. In fact, Maki had murdered so many people, so frequently, and with such expertise, that she was specifically chosen and put in here as The Best Murderer. There weren't any extenuating circumstances. They weren't crimes of passion, or the by-products of negligence. Maki made people die, on purpose, just because other people told her to. And she had been perfectly content to keep that little tidbit to herself so she could avoid acknowledging her circumstances for what they were, and fake being harmless. A duplicitous, malicious falsehood.

She was *deadly*. Firstly, how was that fair, in a killing game? And secondly, how did that not *bother* people more? Someone whose talent was killing and getting away with it. It was incredibly unfair, and incredibly unsettling. Of course, there were plenty of people who were uncomfortable with that. But some weren't. And from some of them, he expected it, because they were idiots, but some... Well, he'd hoped they had a better head on their shoulders than that.

It wasn't just her abilities that made her a concern, it was other traits too. She was short-sighted (did she seriously think she could have kept her lab guarded forever?), she was thoughtless (she was going to let everyone die just because she didn't feel like being suspected?) and she was reactionary (she choked him in front of *everyone*?) All that added up to trouble. She was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off.

... No. She wasn't just a killing machine. Dehumanising her wouldn't help. She was a person just like anyone else, he reminded himself. With hopes and dreams, and wishes, and a future. And those were the things she took, each and every time she took a person's life. She wasn't an automaton, she had free will, and that's what she decided to use it on.

What could she want? He didn't know, and if he was honest with himself, he didn't consider it an interesting mystery to find out. Thankfully, he was not honest with himself. Obviously, a glimpse into Maki's psyche would be both valuable *and* fun.

\--

When Maki saw Kokichi, she didn't scowl. Her eyes didn't glint with loathing, she didn't draw a weapon, and she didn't approach him. Yeah, if he wasn't assured of the room's impenetrable trance before, he was now. He was alone and defenceless in a private room, and as far as she knew, he'd left no indication that he was here in the first place. She shot first and asked questions not-at-all, so this was an opportunity she wouldn't pass up unless it genuinely didn't occur to her. Whatever situation her mind presented her with, she must have believed it wholeheartedly.

That was a big problem with the group, he thought. People just believed whatever they were presented with, blindly, no matter how much it didn't hold up to scrutiny. Maybe if they were more critical, they wouldn't fall for this love hotel farce. Or any of the other crap Monokuma fed them, for that matter.

But in this case, he'd let it slide. With her, this was as blank a slate as he would get. He met her with the most pleasant, benign smile he could muster. The same one he would have given anyone else under these circumstances. This was fine.

Maki looked uncertainly at it, but as he watched her fuss with a lock of her hair, it was clear that her reservation wasn't mistrustful, irritated or concerned. It was a little confused, and a little shy. Her idle gesture was self-soothing. Not the kind of weakness he would have witnessed from her in any other situation. He set aside the temptation to take the lead, to assure his safety through control, and waited, testing to she if she'd cave first.

"Hey," she finally announced, letting her hair go and breaking the long silence. Not a greeting, a prompting.

"Hay is for horses, Maki," he replied.

The side of her mouth quirked in annoyance, but all she did was sigh. It was funny to see her take a dumb comment from him in stride, instead of it rankling her. "... I still don't know anything," she admitted, and realising how ambiguous that sounded, she added, "about you, I mean."

That didn't surprise him, Maki didn't have the finest grasp on relating to people in general, much less to him. "Oh, don't worry, that's fine," he said, brushing it off. "Nobody does. Most of them don't even try!" Not that it bothered him or anything. He cultivated it, it certainly made things easier.

"But I feel like I *should*," she said. "I still don't feel like I understand you. Even after we've been together for over ten years..."

Okay, he was a bit tricky, but even he wasn't *that* elusive. 10 years was enough time to get a basic understanding of a person if you tried. And this was probably the most ludicrous situation he had found himself in yet, how on earth would he have ever lasted this long with someone who considered people disposable? How could anyone? He pouted. "That doesn't seem fair. I know *you* so well, Maki, and I'm *such* an open book. I'll help you out: What do you want to know?"

Maki didn't meet his eyes. She pouted back, she ran fingers through one of her pigtails, she tugged on the tied bow of her uniform (and now that he was close enough to see it without being in mortal peril, he noticed it was dotted with stars) - she was the picture-perfect representation of emotional constipation. "Did you mean it?" She asked. "When you were talking about... having a real family with me. Were you kidding? I never know."

"Did you want me to be kidding?"

"... No." She frowned in confusion. "I... think I do want something like that. But..." She looked down, and spoke softer. "I mean. Having a 'real family'... I'm not sure how to feel about that."

Hm. "What does that mean to you, Maki? What would a real family be?"

She paused, like she couldn’t quite comprehend it enough to answer. She was stuck and frustrated about it. Normally when she didn't have words, she had actions, but here, she hadn't lashed out in a knee-jerk response. She must not have even realised that it was an option. Again, she clutched her hair like it was a security blanket, or some other object of comfort for a child. "I don't know. I don't know that at all either... You know, we've been here in the orphanage for so long. I don't know how to begin to imagine what that looks like."

When she had first introduced herself to everyone, she *had* claimed to be from an orphanage. He was sceptical of that as much as anything else, but since it came up here too, he could consider it consistent enough to believe. And she treated him like he had, too. But she wasn't wrong, someone in that environment didn't have the best frame of reference for 'family'.

"So... you want something, but you don't even know what that something is," Kokichi said aloud, thinking to himself as much as responding to her. He tested again. "Do you really want that, or are you just saying that because you think that's what a normal person would want, and you want to be a normal person?"

She bristled, but it wasn't with her usual icy fury. In a way, she reminded him of an animal in a trap, approached by a human and uncertain as to whether the human would free her, or finish her off. He *had* gotten too close. "Does it matter? Is it wrong to... to want to be a normal person? To want to know what that's like? To just be together with someone and be happy and good instead of..." She grit her teeth, and forced the word though. "Damaged? We've been together so long and you're criticising me for that? Maybe you don't understand me either."

Maybe he didn't. Maybe he did. Maybe he had some idea.

Hardship, trauma, pain and suffering were things that nobody should have to go through, but plenty of people did. It was easy to let trauma harden you and freeze you, seal you up, make you insensate so you wouldn't hurt, and make you harsh so you wouldn't be hurt. Those were ways to cope. But they were shitty ways to cope that didn't do you any favours. They made you suffer more, and they made you damage other people in the process. And that was obvious, surely she knew that on some level. So, sure, she had a story, probably a sad one. But how much could her circumstances matter when she made that same decision to perpetuate this cycle, of her own accord, again and again? Plenty of people didn't resort to that. Nothing stopped her from learning how to be a good person.

She stared. Kokichi stared. She looked away, arms folded and tense, like she was trying to hold herself together.

God. It would have taken way more than a single night to pick her apart and put her back together, and honestly, even if she somehow *did* remember it all and take it to heart, he didn't sign up for doing that. He'd help people, sure, but he couldn't just 'fix' his classmates. That wouldn't stop this game, this would be hell even if they were all perfectly well-adjusted. He didn't want to have to fix Maki, he just wanted her to *not* do the only thing, it seemed, that she knew how to do.

He wouldn't sugar-coat this at all.

"Do you know what a real family is, to me?"

Maki shook her head.

"Us," he continued, and jabbed his finger out like he was lecturing. "You, me, and those kids who don't have anyone else." He sounded harsh, and maybe just a little bitter. For a second he wasn't thinking about her fantasy, he was thinking about... No. Don't get distracted. "I don't care about what's normal, and we *both* know blood relations don't mean *shit*. A real family is people who care for each other and about each other. Do you understand that?"

She dropped her head, and nodded. He saw a tear glint amongst the shimmer of her hair.

His tone softened. "That's all I want. What we have. I wanted to make sure you knew that."

"I think... I was scared you didn't. Like maybe… We would go, and you'd want to leave them behind." She uncrossed her arms, and they hung at her sides. She flexed her hands. Sighed. "But you wouldn't do that to them, right? I don't think I could handle letting you do that, anyway. I’d make sure you'd regret it." She gave him the slightest smile she must have thought was light-hearted and relieving.

There was something about that that made him feel profoundly uncomfortable. "Right."

Maybe she really did desire to be better after all, he supposed he could believe that. But belief was nothing without proof. When all this was over, and if she hadn't killed anyone, maybe then he'd be convinced. And until then... he very much wasn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tangentially related and prob more suited to a blog post but its my fic so hell yeah a place to soapbox: some people say makis writing was inconsistent and sucks in-game but imo it makes more sense if u interpret her character development as performative parroting of kaitos ideals/encouragement instead of sincere self-reflection and positive change. i dont think she 'got' it, i think she just said and did what she thought would make her a 'good' person without knowing why and hoped that would work. its sad. my 2¢


	8. Angie

When Kokichi peered through the crack in the door and saw Angie, it seemed weird to him, to see her outside her lab. She was really attached to that thing. Regardless of intent, she dedicated herself wholeheartedly to her art, so she didn't seem like the type to just take a break. Was the door locked? How did they get her out here? If only he could witness what happened right before they made an appearance. It wouldn't be feasible to keep track of everyone, though. Maybe if there were fewer people left.

Ugh, who was he kidding? Himself? Yeah, right. *When* there were fewer people left.

Angie Yonaga. Student Council President.

Her self-appointed title put her in a very concerning position. What was she using it to pursue? Dominion, or peace? Both? As wide a gulf as it seemed like there was in those two desires, he knew they were linked very clearly. In some way, dictatorship did have the end goal of peace. But it was a flimsy, fake peace that merely pasted over turmoil instead of eliminating it. Hers *aggravated* it. Was that on purpose?

Her goals could have been noble, but her tactics weren't. He understood them: Reward the faithful for obedience, pressure the rebellious into compliance. In a different situation he could see the appeal of getting along peacefully. In a situation without the sword of Damocles hanging over them, he might have liked to have been stuck with his new friends. Gotten to know them. Lovely people, to mercilessly, harmlessly mess with. But as fond as he was to consider that scenario, it was painful and pointless. These were the circumstances he was stuck with, this was what he had to work with and wring dry of redeeming factors. Surely opposing a rival leader was challenging enough to be fun, especially one with god on her side.

He didn't like the idea of relying on a higher power, personally. He didn't like things being out of his hands. And what proof was there, that one existed and had their best interests at heart? The only higher power he was aware of here was malicious and virulent, and the only thing it could guarantee him was suffering.

What could she want? One of her faithful, most likely. Someone who wouldn't - or couldn't - question her.

\--

Angie wasn't anywhere near as hesitant as the others had been. She greeted Kokichi right away, with a clap of her hands, like this was just what she was expecting. She was gleeful and peaceful, in a way he was almost envious of, until he considered where it was coming from. The utter self-assurance that came with the illusion of control. As far as she was concerned, this, like everything else, went according to her Atua's will.

"Hey, hey Kokichi! I'm bored! Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored!" She announced in sing-song. "I outrank you, so if you don't do something about my boredom, I hafta punish you."

'Outranked', yeah, he was right on the money with this one. Some people in positions of power relished an opportunity to turn over control, but of course she had no desire to do so, he wasn't surprised. Was threatening an underling like that really necessary, though? Wasn't bending to her whims a presumed part of his duties anyway?

"Sure! Wanna play hide and seek? I should warn you, though, I'm *really* good."

"Nyahaha! A game sounds divine! ... But, buuut," She pouted in contemplation of her objection. "Atua sees all, so he can just tell me where you are. Try again! Come up with something good, or I will decide!"

Oh, that was an interesting prospect. Would she actually be able to find him right away, using knowledge she shouldn't have? Did her god really see him, perhaps from the other side of a screen? ... Was testing that worth forfeiting this session? Hm. Not this early. Later on.

So... A fondness for games, an intolerance of boredom, a strong, conniving will, and a reliance on falsehood. They stood the same height, eye to eye, and her cheerful (though currently expectant) smile mirrored the one he feigned on a regular basis, if somewhat more sincere. They were two capricious leaders. It was like being faced with a more earnestly peppy, more potentially malicious version of himself. But she never cried, or frowned, or looked sad. When he thought about it, he realised, she never made herself weak or vulnerable at all.

"How about playing pretend?" He felt tendrils of curiosity snake their way in. A plan was taking form in his mind already.

"Ooh, tell me more," Angie said. "As your superior, I demand it!"

He looked away, very deliberately, as if he was gathering himself, and she watched the movement inquisitively, like it was essential to understanding what he was going to say. After a moment of wringing his hands, he sighed, and spoke again. "Let's pretend... Let's say... You're a beloved all-powerful religious leader, and I'm one of your loyal followers. Only... I've been having some problems with my beliefs lately, and I came to you to talk about them."

She nodded, like she figured out what he was getting at. Her tone was airy, but laced with a measure of condescending suspicion, like she knew better and she knew it. "And are you sure you're pretending, Kokichi?"

Okay, he had to come clean. Theoretically.

Her converts were easy marks - the bland, the unquestioning, the gullible, the fearful. In the open, together as a group to defend each other, or keep each other in line. How would she react, one-on-one, when met with doubt?

"Angie," he begun, and paused, his inhale hesitant but bolstering. "Do you ever think things might not be... true? Like maybe you're not sure if you have any reason to trust all this?" Oh, he was *such* a good actor. It was *so* believable that maybe he'd spent time agonising over the nature of reality and everything within it, because so much about it made *no god-damned sense*. "Sometimes... Sometimes I'm just not sure, you know?"

Angie didn't seem put off by the scepticism. She strode forward, peaceful smile on her face, and before he knew it, she had wrapped her arms around him and his head tucked under hers, just like she had for the others. "There, there, Kokichi," she intoned, rubbing his back. "It's okay."

No wonder people had been so willing to flock to her. If he didn't know any better, he might have been soothed by this too. Even now, it was tempting. Mostly it made him uncomfortably aware of the fact that this was the most physical contact he'd had since being trapped here. Compared to being throttled, certainly the most pleasant. Even in his hotel visits, people didn't usually volunteer too much physical contact, and he limited his for a myriad of reasons.

He was just touch-starved enough to let her, and only because her hands had been empty, and her sleeves were too short and billowy to conceal any weapons. She wouldn't be able to use that embrace to back-stab, no matter how easy it would be if she was equipped to.

"Do not worry, Atua will not hold it against you," she said. "He won't punish your crisis of faith, He knows you mean well, and He appreciates your efforts. You doubt with the best of intentions, don't you? You consider it a necessary evil."

Ugh, she knew just what to say, too. Was she aware of that? Recognition wasn't something he figured he'd get outside this room either, and she wouldn't have said it otherwise. Nobody thought he had good intentions. Which was *fine*, and *necessary* and *on purpose*, he told himself.

Her torso rose and fell in a sigh. "It must be scary to not feel His presence within you like I do... But Atua, in His mercy, watches over you always."

 _He and Monokuma,_ Kokichi thought, _at the very least. Plus one._ Who knew how many others? The reminder of it renewed his discomfort, but not more than her next action. She held his body tight, even closer to hers, and spoke into his ear.

"I am here to serve as Atua's vessel, so if it would comfort you to feel Him, you may connect with Him through my body." The revere of her solace over, she let the playfulness creep back into her voice. "I would enjoy that very much, too~"

It genuinely took him a few seconds to comprehend it enough to respond. "Uh," he said, smart, well-spoken and articulate. He grabbed her shoulders to gently but firmly push her back. "Nope!" He announced. "I'm good, actually! I'm fantastic! Wow, that really helped, I'm cured, thaaanks!"

She merely giggled in response. "Come on, come on, Kokichi! *You* know intimacy is an essential aspect of worship. Don't you want to 'do it' properly?" She snuck her hands under his arms and ran her fingers down his sides. Kokichi leapt back like he'd been shocked. "Ooh,” she said. “Or perhaps the new game you are playing is 'hard to get'?"

"Nope! It's, uh," he said, mentally going over his options. This was one session he'd have to abort. Cut and run. "Iiit's tag! Aaand, you're it." He tapped her on the shoulder, then dodged backwards as she lunged forward, arms extended to grab him, with another gleeful titter. A close call.

"Okay, but when I get my hands on you, it's prayer time~" She cooed, turned to face him again, and waggled like a cat about to pounce. He felt the tension of being a mouse under her gaze. She probably didn't intend to *assault* him, but the pall the room cast would have led her to believe that he'd want it, and she was a person who obviously wasn't used to taking 'no' for an answer.

It would *not* be prayer time, he decided as he trotted towards the door and threw it open. She followed, hot on his tail, but eventually he lost her within the winding pathways of the hotel. Thank *god* he was faster than she was. As far as he was concerned, she could find her own way out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, took me a while i guess. buuut in other news, i made a curiouscat account, so if anyone wants to ask me things for some reason... here ya go
> 
> edit: i didnt realise the link didnt work >:/ https://curiouscat.me/thesezza


	9. Tenko

When Kokichi peered through the crack in the door and saw Tenko, he felt hilariously out of place. Yeah, he was gonna stroll on in there and say hi to her, that would go great. Maybe he'd have enough unbroken limbs left over to crawl back out afterwards. Though... Nobody else had too much of a problem with justifying his presence, consciously or not, so maybe he could get away with it this time, too. There was only one way to know for sure.

Tenko Chabashira.

God, Tenko. She was usually earnest (save for one of two dishonest little blind spots), and over-enthusiastic, and spent a lot of time and effort believing in things that weren't necessarily true and didn't necessarily warrant it. Most of the things she said and did were based on how she felt, and it seemed like that extended to the rules of her Neo-Aikido - that was the only way to explain how arbitrary and convenient they were. And she felt a *lot*. Under any other circumstances, that would be tolerable, but in this situation, her emotions led her to cling to biased judgements, and it was such a dumb idea no matter *how* well-meaning it was.

She *was* well-meaning, obviously, infiltrating the student council to try to keep Himiko safe was a caring act. It was selfless in a way that would be admirable if it wasn't so dangerous and prone to backfiring. Keeping people safe was his priority, too, but that was best accomplished at a distance, with a clarity that came with an unclouded viewpoint. Sometimes you couldn't trust feelings. You could care about people and want the best for them, sure, but not being smart about it and letting it compromise you could be fatal.

What would she want? Well, if he walked in there and she called him 'Himiko', he would *not* be surprised, but he *might* laugh so hard he'd sprain something. If that was the role he had to play... So be it. Nyeh-heehee!

\--

Tenko didn't have any visible negative reaction to his appearance. That said a lot, even if it didn't tell him specifics. Either she was okay with a male in this context somehow, or maybe she did see him as a girl here. But he must not have been Himiko; if that was the case, she would be a bit more excited. She regarded him with an unexpected, but relieving, neutrality. If she saw them as equals, maybe he'd get more out of her than he assumed he would.

It took her a moment to process what was in front of her. "Hmmm? Whoa, what's going on!?"

Oh, did she know this was weird?

"Yeah, I admit, I have no idea. Is this wrong? Should I go?"

"No, of *course* not! But I'd appreciate an explanation, Brother Kokichi."

'Brother'? He couldn't help himself, the laugh was out of his mouth before he was aware of it. He tried to make sure it didn't sound as desperate as it felt. "Aha, yeah, your brother in arms, for our martial arts thing, right?"

"Yes!" Tenko said, the delight evident in the way she pumped her raised fists. "My fellow devotee to the brilliant and righteous art of Neo-Aikido!"

Phew! Okay, good. He wasn't up for another round of *that*. Apparently, he was still a 'brother', though. Bizarre. She must have seen him as he was. "Fantabulous, thanks. Yep! I *do* love Neo-Aikido, sooo very much."

She beamed, too happy to notice how sardonic his placating tone was.

"Not sure what you need an explanation for, though?” He said. “Everything I do is so transparent and unambiguous."

"W-well, you know, our agreement!" Tenko seemed flustered as she tapped her index fingers together. "We agreed that whoever won our match today could do whatever they wanted with the person that loses... But you haven't taken advantage of that yet."

Okay. He didn't expect this at all. Hoo, boy. Not that it was super appropriate to try to correct a person on their sexuality, but he was plenty capable of seeing through a person's lies, and Tenko claiming to want a male to take advantage of her, he had pegged as an obvious one. The repression must have been especially deep here, even her subconscious tried to cram her into a box she was ill-suited for. Well, he could let her down easy.

"Oh, that? I cheated." He shrugged and clucked his tongue. "Sorry. Don't think it would be appropriate now."

"N-no! You couldn't have. Neo-Aikido forbids cheating, you wouldn't do that. You're truly powerful... You must have vanquished me fair and square." She made a face that was an uncomfortable combination of a blush and a grimace. She was so unused to dishonesty that her tells were obvious. She acted almost like the words coming out of her mouth tasted foul.

Why was she being so insistent on this? Did she have something to prove?

"Alright, what's going on here, Tenko?"

"What do you mean? I made a deal and I'm sticking to it! So... Do what you want with my body! I'm ready and definitely willing!" She was sweaty, on the border of determination and derangement.

Okay. He might have to do things the hard way. Seriously, he could not have been more sure that that was a lie, whether she knew it or not. "Hm. I don’t think I can, though."

"I know you weren't like other degenerates. You don't want to defile me... Such a noble heart!" Tenko practically sobbed.

As much as he knew that the hotel bent a person's will in subtle ways, (for example, giving him the benefit of the doubt, here), he still recognised this as genuine, unfettered Tenko-sincerity. It was hurled in a nonsensical direction, as usual. She really must have thought she meant it. She was a master of misinterpretation, too.

"No," Kokichi clarified. "I mean, you won't let me. You know that, right?"

"But I will!" She insisted.

"Mmm... Even though I'm a male?"

"Yes. Despite your... unfortunate gender, you've proven yourself to be my equal, and someone who *truly* believes in the ideals of Neo-Aikido. I *definitely* could let you touch me!"

...

He knew, factually, how dumb this was, but it was rapidly becoming unavoidable. Tenko was so determined, and so gung-ho, that she wouldn't learn any other way. He had to call her bluff with a demonstration. "Welp, alright! You're telling me I can do anything, so that's what I'm going to do. Fair warning, brace yourself. I decided I *am* gonna touch you. You ready for this?"

Tenko nodded, her head dropping decisively, like a gavel punctuating the verdict of a trial.

He stared her dead in the eye and reached his hand out. At chest level. Time slowed to a crawl. The seconds dragged on for what felt like hours as his outstretched hand closed the distance between them. He could pinpoint the exact split second that recognition flashed in her gaze, the subtle widening of her eyelids as he felt the fabric of her top with the faintest brush of his fingertips.

The next thing he felt was the slam of his body against the ground as he was grabbed and hurled down, head over feet.

"Ow! What the hell? Come on!" He yelled from the floor, and winced as he pushed himself back up to a sitting position. It wasn't a shock at all, but it was frustrating. "See, I was right!"

"N-no! That was just a reflex!" Tenko panicked. She changed her stance and breathed in deep to center herself for another shot at it. "Sorry! Try again."

"Ugh, no way," This was ludicrous. Denial happened, but he didn't appreciate her taking it out on him. He checked himself for bruises as he responded. "You *don't* want me to, it's *really* obvious. You have a problem with me."

"No!" She seemed surprised at her exclamation. More precisely, at how much active effort she was putting into it. She doubled down. "You're everything I want in a dege-... A male," she corrected herself. "I'm really interested in you! I have feelings for you! And I... want you to do indecent things to me. Really!"

Hm. He didn't even say what the problem was, but she answered like she knew already.

"Well," he said, tactfully, and put a hand up on the edge of the bed to help him get back up. "I don't believe that, 'cuz you proved it wrong already. But okay. Even if that *is* actually true, it doesn't change the fact that this isn't working out for you. So I'll put this another way. You wouldn't have reacted that way if I was a girl, right?"

"Definitely not! I would *never* harm a girl like that outside of fair combat. I want to protect them!" She seemed offended that he would even suggest it.

"So you *don't* want me to touch you, but if I were female, you would be totally fine with that. Do you think that maaaybe that says something specific about you, huh?"

"That's-!" Tenko stopped and sighed. "... Maybe. Yes. I think so." She clenched her fist in front of her chest, and looked away. She was wound tight and tense with nervous energy. Her usual enthusiasm was replaced with apprehension at the answer she gave, like it was difficult and painful to say aloud. As if open acknowledgement would bring a curse down upon her. "B-but what am I supposed to do about that!? I love girls, but I can't... can't love them like *that*, can I? What if I hurt them like a male would? I just couldn't forgive myself! It's easier to just... do this."

He wasn't unsympathetic. He knew how hard it was to admit things to yourself sometimes, and this in particular just made him feel bad for her. She wasn't struggling with anything morally troubling, she was just into ladies. That really shouldn't bother anyone.

"You're fine. It's not a problem. You care, and you're aware of the potential for harm, so you can avoid it. If you're that worried about it, you're already doing better than most people. I'm sure they're safe with you."

"Do you really think so?"

"Obviously.” He sighed. “From the bottom of my noble heart. So, lucky for you, there's an easy solution here. Express yourself." That's the kind of thing she told other people to do, so she could do it herself. "Own it. Go find a girl to do... you know." he waved his hand in her general direction. "That kind of thing with. I don't know, get her to go to town on you, you'll feel better."

Maybe she'd be less... *like that*, if she got laid.

Her response threw him more than physically being thrown did.

"But two girls can't even do things like that together. They're... physically incompatible!"

_Oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god._ That was her problem? (One of them, at least, obviously not the main one, but a contributor.) One of the roadblocks was just that she didn't know lesbian sex was a real thing? Did someone tell her that women couldn't *really* fuck cause there wasn't a dick involved, or some crap like that, and she believed it? She believed a lot of goofy things vehemently, but he didn't expect that *that* was an element of her internalised homophobia. She deserved to know the truth, at least.

"... You have fingers and a mouth, don't you?"

Tenko frowned, her mind turning the question over but failing to understand its relevance. "My fingers *are* powerful martial arts tools. But what does that have to do with anything?"

Oh, hell. Would he risk further maiming to explain this to her in detail? Was it time for Tenko's gay Sex Ed?

She would probably use him to knock the big lit-up heart over, or bring the light fixture on the ceiling down. She could snap him in half over her knee and throw the separate halves through the wooden horses like they were ducks in a shooting game at a carnival.

Yeah, maybe not.

"Weeeeeell... Trust me, ladies can do it. And one day, you're gonna meet a special young woman. Maybe, I don't know, let's say," he held his hand palm-up like he was physically offering a suggestion. "Some kind of magician. And she can teach..." (Actually, would Himiko know how to mash clams either? Prolly not.) "Uuuhhh, you can just work it out together with each other, and it'll bring you closer as a couple or something. Whatever." He flapped that same hand dismissively.

She didn't step forward to immediately murder him for saying that, which was a big relief. Instead she smiled. It wasn't as exuberant as usual, it was small, and cautious, but it was just as sincere. "... Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me, Brother Kokichi."

"That's fine. Don't mention it.” He paused, just imagining how that would play out. “... I mean. Really. You probably shouldn't, ever."


	10. Kiyo

When Kokichi peered through the crack in the door and saw Korekiyo, he braced himself. What are you supposed to expect when you step into a love hotel room with a self-acknowledged creep? Probably something creepy. But screw it, how likely was it that this would be significantly worse than anything else he had weathered so far? (Reasonably likely?)

Korekiyo Shinguji. Kiyo said humanity was beautiful, but what beauty could possibly spawn in a place like this?

Any poetry to be found in humanity's determination to live on was greatly overshadowed by the tragedy of its circumstances. Nobody here, struggling with the need to survive, was fighting against these impossible odds by random chance, or even fate. This was planned. This was premeditated, and for what sake? Entertainment. Kokichi suspected that initially, but as time went on the evidence mounted, it just seemed to get truer and truer. He knew if he hung on long enough, he could confirm it. He was so sure, he would bet his life on it. This pressure cooker wasn't a marvel, or inspiration, it was a spectacle. A freakshow, a miserable glorified cockfight.

He supposed maybe even that held an allure of its own to Kiyo. The concept of bloodsport arose time and time again in societies throughout history, maybe there was something about it that appealed to a certain part of human nature. Maybe he thought it was permissible due to the subjectivity of morality. And he clearly didn't think death was the end of everything, that there was more beyond it, so maybe the ends justified the means, to him.

Maybe he thought that was acceptable, from an anthropological standpoint.

What would he want? He was spoken for already, and judging by what he said, it was someone who didn't seem to be around. Hopefully that wasn't what he was expecting, bullshitting a general role wasn't hard, but impersonating someone he didn't know might prove trickier. Ultimately, though, it would be just like anything else: fake it 'til you make it.

\--

"Kehehe... Kokichi. So you've come to me because you finally understand, yes?"

Kokichi got the sinking feeling he was understanding more and more as time went on - though still not nearly enough for his liking, not enough to do anything about just yet - but that would have to take a back-seat to understanding what was going on here and now. Kiyo stood before him, eerily prim and elaborate as usual, thin and ethereal, like an elegant spectre. It was as if the garish decor he was surrounded by failed to touch him at all.

Of *course* Kiyo's fantasy put him in the position of being approached. Normally, he was happy to lurk in the background and observe, and people were inclined to keep their distance. Maybe being so off-putting to others made him lonely, that wouldn't be surprising. Or maybe his passivity was carefully honed, and ready to be wielded with tactical precision. At the least, Kiyo was crafty, so this would be a scene Kokichi didn't want to go into blind.

"Hm. Nope! 'Fraid I'm here cuz I'm still missing a lot. I figured since you like explaining things, I should get your input."

Kiyo seemed visibly pleased at the prospect. No wonder, meting out knowledge was one of his favourite things. "If you asked me whether or not I believe your ignorance, my answer would be... Not quite. Of course, there are things one tends to expect of you."

Kokichi crossed his arms behind his head with a grin. "Wow, you really got me pegged, don't you? Someone's been paying attention. And here I thought I was sooo mysterious."

Kiyo chuckled, near derisive, and after a beat, Kokichi met it with a mirthless laugh of his own. He wondered if Kiyo picked up on its insincerity, what with the uneasy atmosphere, or if it would have been the same regardless. Kiyo might have been an observer, but he wasn't as astute as he thought. This wasn't the first time he'd assumed Kokichi was lying when he actually wasn't. Probably wouldn't be the last.

"Very well," Kiyo conceded to his attitude. "Play coy if you must. Sincere or not, the end result is the same. You sought my education, so my education you shall receive. However, there is one condition before we proceed."

So he *was* here to learn something.

"Lay it on me," Kokichi replied, checking his nails flippantly.

Kiyo spread his hands in offering. "I simply request that you remain unattached. No matter how grateful for my attention you are, and no matter how enamoured with my touch you become. I cannot return your feelings, so it would be most convenient for me that they do not develop to begin with."

His touch? What the hell? What was he teaching, here? This sounded less like an actual lesson and more like a one-night-stand. Geez. Even if Kokichi really *was* as unscrupulous as he pretended to be, Kiyo was, well, Kiyo. He would *not* be at the top of Kokichi's list.

But hey, what was the harm in feeding him a little more bullshit? If Kiyo hadn't detected it by now, he basically earned it. And if it stopped whatever *this* was in its tracks? Fantastic.

"Oops! Failed step one. Sorry, tall, dark and," Kokichi squinted in scepticism at the wording of the phrase. "Handsome? I think I might have fallen for you already. Why else would I have showed up?"

Kiyo embraced himself and sighed lightly. Moodily, knowingly, and ready to elaborate. "I know you regard me with the same fondness you do any other given individual - that is to say, entirely lacking. The moments in which you play nice, you mar soon after, and slip away with nary a second thought. I may put no faith in your confession, but I trust this rendezvous to prove, ultimately, little more than a pleasant experience. After all, one needn't heed your words, when your actions speak so much louder."

Kokichi drew his mouth closed in a thin line. Okay, Kiyo did pay attention, even if the conclusions he drew were mistaken. Evidently, he saw Kokichi the way he saw cultural norms: open to interpretation.

"And thus, I shall proceed," Kiyo spoke again. "Our dalliance may be liminal, but I believe you shall find this lesson rather... revealing."

He pulled out - a bundle of red rope, from under the bed. What the fuck? That wasn't there before. Kokichi checked the room earlier, on each and every night he came here. Did Kiyo smuggle it in in this clothing or something? Incidentally, or on purpose? And he was passing out bondage lessons? Shit. No. There was no way in hell Kokichi would let himself be tied up, he'd avoid it by any means necessary.

"Ugh, okay, fine, bluff called," Kokichi replied, disappointed, but nothing less than perfectly calm. "I know what I'm doing here, and I didn't really come to you so you could *teach* me anything. I wanted to see if I could impress *you* with what I know. Your expert opinion would be invaluable. How about it?" He extended a hand and clapped his fingers against his palm. A give-it-here motion.

Kiyo put his hand to his mask in consideration. "Hm. This is indeed an unexpected turn of events." He stared at Kokichi, sizing him up, and Kokichi stared back, like a gunslinger challenging his foe to draw. The way Kiyo looked at him, tinged with suspicion, made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, but he wouldn't let Kiyo see a weakness to pounce on.

"... However," Kiyo continued. "I must admit I find myself quite intrigued at the prospect. Kehehe. Very well. Please, bring out my beauty the best you are able." He placed the coil of rope into Kokichi's hand. Crisis averted. Thank *fuck*. Alright.

So, this was weird, but eh, fine, he could work with it. Better than the alternative.

"Tell me if it starts to hurt, or cut off your circulation or anything," Kokichi said absently as he evaluated the rope's length. He probably didn't need to say it - if Kiyo was as into this as he seemed to be, he probably knew what the protocol was. But, just in case.

Kiyo let a laugh escape again. "If you truly seek to impress me, your words of caution should prove unnecessary. But of course, I believe you shall find my conduct appropriate."

Hm. What *could* Kokichi do? It needed to be something relatively simple and safe, but still appealing. Probably just an upper body harness or something? He looked up. Kiyo loomed above him ominously. Man, he was tall. Yeah, there was a problem with this already, Kokichi just couldn't reach that high. Nothing that couldn't be solved with a little compliance, though.

"On your knees," he said. He kept his tone casual but firm, even though it was more experimental than anything else. Would Kiyo even follow that instruction? To Kokichi's mild surprise, he did. That was weird, Kokichi couldn't imagine feeling that ready and willing. He was comfortable in this kind of situation, and it was *unsettling*. "Over or under your uniform?"

"In this case, my preference would be over. Adding one's own strokes to an already-adorned canvas seamlessly is a demonstration of remarkable skill."

Oh, good, now he wouldn't be taking any of Kiyo's clothes off either. What a relief. This hadn't been much of a problem at all. The weirdest thing about it might have actually been how benign and easily-navigable it was.

Actually, no, it was still *super* goddamn weird in general. It freaked him out how close he'd gotten to a really bad situation, and even if he assumed that Kiyo did think it would be consensual, it was still unnerving that it was sprung on him. But at least treating it like an intellectual exercise helped him come down from the rush of adrenaline. Sure, he was tying someone up, but it was more like a puzzle to solve. To accomplish his goal, which parts of the rope went where?

He began weaving, tugging the cords around Kiyo's torso, over and under his limbs, and entwined taut against themselves, and Kiyo remained passive, but unyielding throughout. In his periphery he was vaguely aware of Kiyo's intense gaze, and just to disrupt it, he gave the end of the rope a rough yank - "O-kay! Pretty much done. Just do me a favour and hold this," - before tying it off again and tucking it into one of Kiyo's loosely tied-back hands. Then they were, perhaps for the first time, truly face-to-covered-face.

... Hm.

His hand lingered over Kiyo's mask, and for a moment, he contemplated snatching it right off... but the sudden, stark threatening glint that entered Kiyo's eyes at that instant made him reconsider. Like Kiyo really *would* pull his nerves out for it. Yikes. And for what; to finally see Kiyo's mouth? Yeah, imagine how helpful *that* would be. No, it'd probably just be really boring. Not worth it. 

Really, the most important thing he’d learned from this was to be wary of being stuck in a confined space with him. Kiyo was crazy-prepared to make things weird. Nothing good would come of that.

"Sooo... Before I listen to your assessment, *I* have a condition for *you*. Just ooone li'l thing I want you to do first." Kokichi held up a finger, then paused and held up another. "Mmm, two things, actually."

Kiyo chuckled lightly, his cadence almost like the hiss of a coiled serpent still about to strike. "Your wish is my command."

"Stay here..."

Kokichi strode over towards the door, and looked back into the room from his position.

"Aaand, pull the rope end you're holding."

Kiyo did. The quick release knot at the base of his palm slipped apart, and the carefully-threaded improv shibari began to unravel itself. Kokichi was gone before the rope dropped to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for another long pause, more life stuff going on that took priority. cant say ill be back to updating with the same regularity either, but hey. did one more thing at least.


End file.
